The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-12-03
( ooLp.HuNrER.
ut tho 1scn1 Life of q western
Prospector IL Like.

Nc NctO YORK |F0rM from delenn'
Montana, that tho life Of gold-hunter
is jolly one, that when he gets out of
funds he simply retires to the nearest
mountainA finds gold or silver mine,
returns in few days. sells the proper
~ for large sum and elbows i'm his
easily acquired wealth against faro
bank or loses it in trying to master the
intricacies of draw-poker. After this he
sallies forth as before and refills his
depleted purse. The fact, however. Is
that the life of n prospector is not easy
pleasant, but rather of the incessant
Toll. innumberable hardships aud disap-
pointments. Nor is he more given to |
gambling than those who are engaged
in other callings. In the sprng-time,
often with no other companion than
stubborn pack-mule, which he leads
along by halter, the gold-hunter turns
his back on such civilization as border
towns can boast of and hides himself
among the awful solitudes of the noun
lulHSy WucIC uC lClhohob OaSSPs ""S.
he repairs to the nearest settlements to
procure fresh supplies. pursuing his
lonely and dangerous tasks until the
storms of winter compel him to seek
shelter again among the habtations OF
his fellow-men. If perchance he
should discover promising lead DUR
ing his summer explorations, then he
builds himself snug cabin of logs. or
if there is no timber in the neighbor-
hood. scoops out hole in the side OF
mountain, and, to use his own
expression, "camps on the prospect.
II IS diet consists of fat beacon, bread
of his own manufacture, and coffee &C.
casonally varied by roasted grouse.
slice of venison, or other game supplied
by his own trusty rifle. And he makes
u nightly bed on the brown lap OF
MNfher Earth.
AS the gold-hunter ascends the slope
of the mountain which he has selected
as the scene of his explorations he notes
every change in the structure or the
composition of the rocks. When fav-
orable locality is reached, locality
where the geological formation indi-
Gates the precence Of gold, he stops at
the first spring of water. unpacks his
outfit pitches his tent, if he has one,
which is rarely the case, pickets his
tired mule, gathers few loose rocks
and places them in the form of a horse
shoe on the ground to serve as stove,
and then, with bent head and watchful
eyes, carefully scans every gulch and
mountain side, prizes into every nook
and Granny in quest of those signs
which Mother Nature always posts
near the spot where she has hidden
her precious treasures.
Far up on the rugged TANKS Of that
storm-riven mountain the gold-hunter
breaks off piece of rock from the
ledge and 10! it is flecked with bright
Fellow specks, not unlike that metal
Rch all mankind is so glad to possess.
dis heart beats fast as he examines the
specimen. He vets the bright specks
with his tongue and picks at them nerv-
ously with his penknife. They crumble
at the touch of that instrument and
then he throws the rock down with an
angry gesture, and mutters disappoint-
edly: "Pilgrim gold, be gosh"
Now he Is down yondcr in the gulch,
which seems as though it might be the
repository of vast amount of the vel
low metal, digging hole in the gravel.
The trend of the rift is north and south.
Nature never piled mp drift in that
manner, especially in ravine in this
range of mountains, without sprinkline
it with gold. 1t was in just such spots
rs that she loved to secrete her mos,
beautiful metal whenever 1t was tori
from its native home in the rock by the
slowly advancing glacier or floods
of bygone ages. A little stream O.
water goes singing down the gulch, ano
the tall bunch of grass bends graceful
ly over It as if charmed by the song
Hard by chipmunk sits as motionles'
- as a stone at the entrance to its little
Novel and watches the intruder on 1T
pmain with the greatest curiosity. Oh
TN opposite flank of the mountain
coyote skulks along in the manner o.
its kind, while high above the eagle II
winging his way, a speck across thu
blue.
The shaft is down threS feet and nov